Latest Legal culture Podcast Episodes

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Women Are Not Without Power

Strict Scrutiny - August 15, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Even though it's summer, there's a lot to catch up on in the legal world! Leah and Melissa talk with Grace Panetta, who co-wrote a piece for Business Insider on the GOP's plans for state constitutional conventions. And then they turn toward Kansas, where voters dramatically turned out to declare...

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Hostility to Mercy

Strict Scrutiny - August 08, 2022 07:00 - 59 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Leah talks with Lee Kovarsky of the Capital Punishment Center at the University of Texas about the Supreme Court's treatment of death penalty cases.  Before 2020, there hadn't been a federal execution since 2003. In the last six months of the Trump presidency, there were 13. Lee tells us how tha...

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Law & Religion on the Barrett Court

Strict Scrutiny - August 01, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
It's a deep dive into law and religion in this conservative supermajority iteration of the Supreme Court. Kate talks with Micah Schwartzman of UVA and Nelson Tebbe of Cornell about some of the major religious liberty cases that have come before the Court in recent years, and what the Court may b...

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The Family Roe: An American Story

Strict Scrutiny - July 25, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Melissa interviews journalist Joshua Prager about his book, The Family Roe: An American Story. Prager spent hours interviewing Norma McCorvey (aka Jane Roe), her daughters, and other key figures throughout the decades-long debate over abortion rights in America.

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How Mitch Rigged the Courts

Strict Scrutiny - July 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
While the Supreme Court gets all the focus, lower federal courts are just as much in need of reform. Unfortunately, rigging the courts is a game the GOP knows how to play. In this episode, Leah talks with Rakim Brooks of Alliance for Justice, and Brandon Hasbrouck* of Washington & Lee Law School...

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Break Glass in Case of Emergency

Strict Scrutiny - July 11, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
It was a long term. It's over. Leah, Melissa, and Kate recap what all happened, what we maybe learned out of it, and what we have to look forward to.     For a transcript of this episode go to https://crooked.com/podcast-series/strict-scrutiny/

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Smashing Precedents and Making Up Facts

Strict Scrutiny - July 04, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
The Supreme Court finally finished the OT2021 term-- and it was a doozy. Kate and Leah recap the last few opinions, including Oklahoma v. Castro Huerta, with special guest Greg Ablavsky of Stanford Law [3:55], and the "praying coach" case, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District [34:22]. Then, a li...

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Just how bad is the Supreme Court's EPA decision?

Strict Scrutiny - July 01, 2022 01:50 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Kate and Leah break down the "free-wheeling, free association analysis" of the Supreme Court's opinion in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. Basically, it's bad! And not just because of the impending climate apocalypse!

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This Maximalist Conservative Supermajority

Strict Scrutiny - June 27, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
The pace of opinion releases has accelerated considerably as we speed toward the end of June and the justices' vacations. Even though last week brought us blockbuster cases about guns and abortions, there are still lots of consequential opinions getting overlooked. Leah, Kate, and Melissa break ...

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Roe is dead. Now what?

Strict Scrutiny - June 25, 2022 00:43 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Today the Supreme Court issued their opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. It overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, meaning there is no longer constitutional protection for the right to an abortion. Melissa, Leah, and Kate recap the horrific opinion by Justice...

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How SCOTUS gutted our gun laws

Strict Scrutiny - June 24, 2022 02:18 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Today the Supreme Court released its opinion in NYSRPA v. Bruen, saying that the constitutional right to carry a gun extends beyond the home. Kate, Leah, and Melissa break down the opinion and what it means for the future of gun regulations and states' rights.

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Reeking of Impropriety

Strict Scrutiny - June 20, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
The Supreme Court handed down 11 opinions last week-- 18 more to go. Leah and Melissa recap the outcomes, and then turn to our weekly "Ginni Tonic" segment, because there's always something new there.

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Queer Supremacy (A Pride Special)

Strict Scrutiny - June 16, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
It's a special Pride episode of Strict Scrutiny! Special guests Joshua Matz and Chase Strangio join Melissa, Kate, and Leah to highlight developments and ongoing litigation around LGBTQ rights. This year, Crooked Media’s Pride fund is supporting three incredible organizations that provide commu...

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The Newly Constituted and Restless

Strict Scrutiny - June 13, 2022 07:00 - 56 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
The Supreme Court released four opinions last week (still 20-something to go before the end of the term), so Leah, Kate, and Melissa break them all down. Plus, they address the need for increased security for all federal judges, and offer a recipe for a new, refreshing cocktail to sip while you ...

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Allow Me To Retort

Strict Scrutiny - June 06, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Melissa interviews Elie Mystal about his new book, Allow Me To Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution. P.S. Melissa, Kate, and Leah will be on The Problem with Jon Stewart this Thursday, June 9th! Don't miss it.

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Innocence Isn't Enough

Strict Scrutiny - May 30, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Investigative journalist Liliana Segura joins Kate, Melissa, and Leah to tell the story of Barry Jones, who was the center of one of the cases in Shinn v. Martinez Ramirez [3:30]. The Supreme Court released an opinion in the case last week, and it's bad. There is a miniscule moment of joy, thoug...

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The Only Loser is the Public

Strict Scrutiny - May 23, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Ellen Weintraub, commissioner of the Federal Election Commission since 2002, joins Kate and Leah to break down the Supreme Court's opinion in FEC v. Ted Cruz, an important campaign finance case [2:07]. (Commissioner Weintraub also joined us to preview the case before oral arguments-- go back and...

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What's next in a post-Roe world

Strict Scrutiny - May 16, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Kate and Leah spend some additional time on possible fallout from a Dobbs opinion overruling or eviscerating Roe. They interview two people with insight on what we can expect in a post-Roe world. Diana Greene Foster is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Scienc...

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Stay Mad Like Sam

Strict Scrutiny - May 09, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Kate, Melissa, and Leah recap the remaining arguments from the April session: Nance v. Ward [1:38] and Biden v. Texas [18:04]. They also get into a unanimous opinion about religious speech [43:28], and of course, break down some court culture before continuing their investigation into the leaked...

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What the SCOTUS leak could mean for abortion

Strict Scrutiny - May 03, 2022 22:40 - 52 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Kate, Leah and Melissa get together for an emergency episode to discuss a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that indicates the justices are prepared to overrule the decisions protecting and reaffirming the constitutional right to an abortion.   Protect Abortion Access. Donate to Abortion Fund...

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The Inner Life of Coach Kavanaugh

Strict Scrutiny - May 02, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Leah, Kate, and Melissa bring you a jam-packed show recapping news, arguments, and opinions from the Supreme Court in the past couple weeks. Recaps include "the praying coach case," aka Kennedy v. Bremerton School District [10:26], Shoop v. Twyford [45:27], and Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta [50:05]....

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Coup, But Make It Look Legal

Strict Scrutiny - April 25, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Kate's off glamping, so Leah and Melissa are left to their own devices to recap SCOTUS news [1:37], arguments from the first week in the April sitting [27:09], and fresh opinions [54:00]. Plus, a new game: X-Treme Textualism.

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The Non-Existent Establishment Clause

Strict Scrutiny - April 18, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Leah, Kate, and Melissa catch up on SCOTUS news (including more shadow docket activity and shady Thomas behavior) [1:04] and preview the cases the Supreme Court will hear in their last sitting of the term [35:54]. The justices will be going out with a bang, hearing cases about veteran benefits, ...

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Justice on the Brink

Strict Scrutiny - April 11, 2022 07:00 - 52 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Melissa interviews Linda Greenhouse about her new book, Justice on the Brink: The Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Rise of Amy Coney Barrett, and Twelve Months That Transformed the Supreme Court. This conversation was originally a live, virtual event from the Brennen Center for Justice, produce...

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Light Conspiracy Theories

Strict Scrutiny - April 04, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Leah and Kate catch up on all SCOTUS-related "antics" that happened in March-- including the latest in Ginni Thomas news [00:55], opinions [25:06], oral arguments [40:23], and non-Thomas-related news [52:56].

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Backwards and in High Heels

Strict Scrutiny - March 28, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Leah, Kate, and Melissa watched all the confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson-- so you don't have to. Here's our recap of the best, worst, and weirdest moments throughout four days of questioning.

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Go Down Clutching the Constitution

Strict Scrutiny - March 21, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Rebecca Nagle, host of This Land, joins Leah and Kate to discuss the issues at stake in Brackeen v. Haaland, a case challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act that the Supreme Court will hear next term. Plus, Kate and Leah catch you up on the latest in SB8 news, an opinion written by Justice Kaga...

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Living Textualism

Strict Scrutiny - March 14, 2022 07:00 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Kate and Leah talk with Cary Franklin, the McDonald/Wright Chair of Law and Faculty Director of the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, about her article "Living Textualism." The article is a broad critique of textualism, using the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Bostock v. Clayton Cou...

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Canon Wars

Strict Scrutiny - March 07, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Rachel Rothschild, legal fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity, joins Kate and Melissa to recap oral argument in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. They also recap cases about prescription drugs, tribal casinos, outpatient dialysis, and what happens when a state wants to en...

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Indian Law Hall of Fame

Strict Scrutiny - March 03, 2022 08:00 - 53 minutes ★★★★★ - 1.4K ratings
Leah recaps Denezpi v. United States, an important case about tribal sovereignty, with Matthew Fletcher (Michigan State University & Chief Justice of the Pokagon band of Potawatomi Indians Court of Appeals) & April Youpee-Roll (Munger Tolles & Olson), which may involve … Neil Gorsuch’s heel turn...

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